In the application of size to textile strands, such as spun yarns, apparatus and procedures have been developed to effect application of hot melt size or the like, to the textile strands. The apparatus that has been developed includes methods and procedures which have been developed utilizing an applicator cylinder having a peripheral closed surface defined by a plurality of alternating grooves and lands extending circumferentially about the peripheral closed surface. Typical of such apparatus is that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,610 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein). In order to effectively utilize such apparatus, a structure and procedure must be employed that efficiently effect cleaning of unused size, and collected lint, from the grooves and the lands, otherwise the system becomes contaminated, the grooves partially fill up, and the sizing operation ceases to be efficient.
A number of different structures and procedures have been employed in order to effect efficient groove cleaning, such as those disclosed in said U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,610 and in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,287. While such prior cleaning mechanisms have been reasonably effective, they have often not had the efficiency and cost effectiveness that are desired for commercial sizing operations.
According to the present invention, an apparatus and method are provided which do provide efficient and cost effective cleaning of the grooved applicator cylinder for applying melted sizing material to textile strands. The apparatus according to the present invention is eminently simple, comprising an elongated cord of elastomeric material, such as silicones or fluorosilicones having a Durometer hardness within the range of about 50-75, and preferably being circular in cross-section. The elastomeric material cord is disposed generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder, and is moved by a plurality of holding blocks into intimate contact with the grooves and lands on the cylinder circumference. Each holding block has a generally quadrate-shaped channel formed in a first end thereof which frictionally receives the elastomeric cord, and the position of each block with respect to a housing may be adjusted utilizing a cam slide having a slanted portion, and a screw threaded fastener which engages the holding block on the opposite end thereof from the channel.
The elastomeric material cord is deformed when it engages the surface of the applicator cylinder (or roller), and essentially completely mates with the grooves and the lands of the cylinder periphery, and is even effective to penetrate to the bottoms of the grooves. The cord thus effects wiping, and cleaning of the entire circumferential periphery of the cylinder including the bottoms of the grooves, and the lands, and does so in an efficient manner.
Pursuant to a method according to the present invention, textile strands are sized by passing them through the applicator cylinder grooves and cleaning of the cylinder peripheral surface is effected by forcing the elastomeric material cord into contact with that surface. Periodically, the elastomeric material cord is removed from the cylinder surface and is inspected to see if "fins" have set in the material. Once it is determined that such fins have set and the cord will not elastomerically recover to approximately its original circular cross-section, the elastomeric cord is removed merely by grasping it and stripping it from the channel. Then a new elastomer material cord is pressed into the channel and the cleaning operation can continue. The elastomeric material cord is inexpensive and it will be seen that it is extremely easy to utilize and replace.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a cost effective and efficient apparatus and method for cleaning an applicator cylinder, particularly one having a peripheral surface formed with alternating grooves and lands. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.